Mr. Butler For 7th District

Vote Nov. 5

Hartford

October 25, 2006

Democract Douglas McCrory is seeking a second term as state representative from Hartford's 7th House District seat. Mr. McCrory is charismatic and has strong ties to the city's African-American community, but his Republican opponent, Walter R. Butler, seems the better candidate.

Mr. Butler, 77, an attorney from the city's Asylum Hill neighborhood, has lived in Hartford for more than 25 years. The House seat would be his first elective office, but Mr. Butler has served the city in many civic capacities. He has a good grasp of issues and clear ideas for addressing them. The district includes portions of Hartford's Blue Hills, Northeast, Upper Albany, Asylum Hill and West End neighborhoods.

FOR THE RECORD - This correction ran on, October 26, 2006, page A12.

Mr. Butler says that while state funding levels for education are up, they're down in relation to overall state revenues. He's right that the state should fund districts' special-education costs more than it does currently. He also says the state is losing teachers and should make recruiting them from other states easier.

Mr. McCrory agrees on the need to smooth recruiting. He also says the state needs to find ways to bridge the achievement gap between white and minority students. But then he notes Hartford already gets a lot of funding and there's a need for accountability.

Mr. Butler also seems to understand the need for property-tax reform and its importance to homeowners whose property values are rising, but who can't afford their taxes. He also favors a good idea championed by Mayor Eddie Perez during the last legislative session to let larger cities tax vacant lots at higher rates than developed lots. The ``split-tax'' plan failed in the General Assembly, but has been used in other states to encourage development. Mr. McCrory knew little about it.

It has been a disappointing first term for Mr. McCrory, who is 30 and an assistant principal at Mark Twain elementary school.